【慧園】第七屆年度美國最佳歌曲獎揭曉，由Randall Effner製作的
“讓他們自由” 獲得抒情創作的榮譽獎。
由作曲家和抒情詩人創辦的美國歌曲大賽意在幫助詞作者和詩人能夠提高他們的水平，同時借此機會，讓他們的音樂能夠有機會被音樂發行商，製片商和音樂媒體聽到。每個參賽者都會收到比賽評委的書面評語。今年，該賽事慶祝成功舉辦的第七個年頭。
今年的比賽共計有1800名選手參加，在抒情寫作方面有500人。在這一組裏，除了第一名獎項，還有四首歌榮獲“傑出成就獎”，八首歌獲“決賽選手”十五首歌，包括“讓他們自由”獲“榮譽”獎。
“讓他們自由”最初創作於2005年夏天，在華盛頓DC林肯紀念堂前的“退黨”集會上。從那時起，這首歌在全世界的多次退黨遊行中被多次演奏，或者是現場演奏或是錄音，這些遊行地方包括紐約，波士頓，邁阿密，澳大利亞，倫敦和其它地區。這首歌所到之處受到了觀眾的熱烈回應。
Randal說：“華盛頓DC的朋友讓我為那次有關退黨運動的集會寫首歌。實際上我也考慮過寫一首這樣的歌好長時間了。他的請求更刺激了我的創作慾望。我記得60年代民權運動時歌曲所起到的巨大作用。當時是音樂最大的激勵了冷漠的學生包括我採取行動。我想，或許理想主義還在，只是睡著了，等著火花再次將它點燃。”
我對收到音樂界如此受尊重的團體的獎項感到極為榮幸和高興，但是它也是一種考驗，因為我必須記住為什麼自己創作這首歌，不是成為明星或出售CD。我想借此呼籲停止在中國大陸對法輪功修煉者和其它無辜百姓的迫害。這是我的目標，這也是這首歌的目標，我想這個獎項及發行會加深實現這一目標。我希望更多的人能夠學唱“讓他們自由”，並且在退黨集會上演唱，或任何需要人們了解真相的場合。
“有人問我此歌是獻給誰的，人們可以根據自己的意願去解讀，對我來說，是對政府和自由世界的人們的直接呼籲。同時，這是一個挑戰，或更準確的說，是對中共政權的要求，‘讓人民自由’，最後，是發自內心的請求，讓宇宙中所有的正義力量‘讓他們自由’”。
去年夏天，當我寫這首歌時，面臨著很緊的截止時間。沒有時間預約去音樂室，我不得不在一個朋友的家裏完成錄製工作。原版錄音極富激情，但製作有點粗糙。從那時起，我們不斷改□，並且得到了專業音樂室的幫助。現在，我們可以向世界推出新錄製的“讓他們自由”。
Randall和他的女兒莎拉一起從事音樂創作已數年。他們現在正建一個網站www.justicewillprevail.com，介紹他們的歌曲，最後還將選用其他人的音樂。
歌曲：“讓他們自由”/music/articles/9/26071.html
[歌詞：中文翻譯]
我聽到自由的鐘聲再度迴響
那鐘聲曾經在風中緩緩吟唱
中國人攜起手來，把自由嚮往
時候已到，告訴世界一個真實的共產黨
我想為這首歌配一幅畫
關於中共如何迫害法輪大法
你是教徒或者是民主領袖
你會遭到監禁，無法回家
讓他們自由 讓他們自由 讓他們自由 讓他們自由
讓他們自由 讓他們自由 讓他們自由 讓他們自由
勞改營就是人間地獄
你忍飢挨餓，還要被洗腦和毒打
無處申訴那些酷刑和虐殺
沒有法律和正義，因為那還是中共的天下
他們掩蓋罪惡，將其描述得燦若朝霞
自由世界應該把自由捍衛
但我們卻為利益把人權摧毀
我們看見奴工和酷刑，卻視而不見
我卻不能坐視屠殺的大罪
讓他們自由 讓他們自由 讓他們自由 讓他們自由
讓他們自由 讓他們自由 讓他們自由 讓他們自由
世界不該忘記柏林牆
人們歡呼雀躍著自由的光芒
中共黨魁那天瑟瑟發抖
因為來日無多，他們將血債血償
紅色的惡龍不再飛揚
九柄利劍已將其徹底毀傷
幾百萬人公開退黨
世界將因此再現輝煌
讓他們自由 讓他們自由 讓他們自由 讓他們自由
讓他們自由 讓他們自由 讓他們自由 讓他們自由
[英文] "Set Them Free" Wins Award in the 7th Annual Great American Song Contest
The results of the 7th Annual Great American Song Contest have been released, and among the winners was "Set Them Free" by Randall Effner, which received an "Honor" award for Lyric Writing.
Created by songwriters, the Great American Song Contest focuses on helping songwriters and lyricists improve their skills while providing opportunities to have their work be seen and heard by music publishers, producers, and music media. Every entry receives a written evaluation from the contest judges. This year, the contest celebrated its seventh successful year as a respected international songwriting event.
This year's contest had 1800 entries overall, with 500 entries in the Lyric Writing category. In this group, in addition to the first place winner, four songs earned "Outstanding Achievement" awards, eight won awards as "Finalists" and fifteen more songs, including "Set Them Free" won "Honor" awards.
"Set Them Free" was originally written in the summer of 2005 for a large march and rally to "Quit the CCP" (Tuidang) held at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC. Since then, it's been performed live or recordings of it have been played at numerous Tuidang rallies around the world, including New York, Boston, Miami, Australia, London, and other places. It has met with an enthusiastic response from audiences wherever it was performed.
In Randall's words: "A friend in Washington DC asked me to try to write a song for the rally, something specific to the movement to Quit the CCP. Actually, I had already been thinking about writing such a song for a long time, and this provided the added incentive I needed. I remembered the powerful impact the protest songs of the 60s had on the civil rights movement. It was that music, more than anything else, that turned rather apathetic students such as myself into activists. I thought, 'Maybe that idealism is still out there, lying dormant, waiting for the right spark to ignite it again.'
"I'm very pleased and grateful to have received this award from this highly respected group of music-industry professionals. But it's also a test of sorts. I have to remember why I'm doing this. I am not seeking to be a star or sell CDs. I want to end the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners and other innocent people in China. That is my goal, that is the song's goal, and I think this award and the publicity surrounding it will further that goal. I hope that now, even more people will learn "Set Them Free" and sing it at Tuidang events, or anywhere else where people need to hear the truth.
"Someone asked me who the song is addressing, who it's talking to. Well, people can interpret that however they wish. To me it is a direct appeal to the governments and people of the free world. At the same time, it's a challenge, or more properly, a demand to the communist regime in China, to "let these people go." Finally, it is a heartfelt plea to all the righteous forces in heaven: 'Set Them Free!' It is all of these things at once.
"When I wrote the song last summer, I was up against a tight deadline. There was no time to make an appointment at a studio, so I recorded it at a friend's house. That original recording had a lot of spirit, but it was kind of rough. Since then, we've worked on it some more, and got some great help from professional studios both here in Missouri where I live and also in Florida. So, this seems like a good time to re-introduce our new recording of 'Set Them Free' to the world."
Randall and his daughter Sara have been working together to make music for several years. They are now in the process of building a website, www.justicewillprevail.com which will feature their songs and eventually music by others as well.
Set Them Free
Words and Music by Randall Effner
Vocals: Randall, Dianna, and Sara Effner
Arrangement and Guitar: Adrian Morales
Recorded at Wimmercreek Studio, Jefferson City, Missouri, and Heiga Studio, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
Final mix at Heiga Studio, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
I hear the chimes of freedom ring again
I heard them once before when they were blowin' in the wind
The Chinese people walk in chains, they're longing to be free
It's time to tell the world the truth about the CCP
I'd like to paint a picture in this song,
About what it's like in China if you practice Falun Gong,
Or if you are a Christian or you're for democracy
They'll put you in a prison cell and throw away the key.
Chorus:
Set them free! set them free! set them free! set them free!
Set them free! set them free! set them free! set them free!
The labor camps are like a living hell
Where you're beaten, starved and brainwashed and there's nowhere to appeal
There is no law or justice, there is just the CCP
Who hide their evil deeds behind a cloak of secrecy.
The free world should stand up for liberty
But now we sell out human rights to buy a cheap TV,
We see slavery and torture and we turn our head aside
I'd rather spend a little more than pay for genocide.
Repeat Chorus
The world will not forget the Berlin Wall
And how the people danced with joy, just to see it fall
The Chinese leaders shake with fear remembering that day
They know their time is almost up and soon they'll have to pay.
The blood red dragon can no longer fly
Nine swords have pierced its armor and it looks about to die
Now millions of its members have renounced it publicly
The world will be a better place without the CCP.
Repeat Chorus
Raise Pitch One Step and Repeat Chorus
